2 Kings

2 Kings 20:9–11

⁹And Isaiah had replied, “This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?”

¹⁰“It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps,” answered Hezekiah, “but not for it to go back ten steps.”

¹¹So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz.

Read all of 2 Kings 20

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Kings 20:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And Isaiah	יְשַׁעְיָ֗הוּ	yə·ša‘·yā·hū	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3470 Jeshajah
had replied	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
This	זֶה־	zeh-	Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
will be a sign	הָאוֹת֙	hā·’ō·wṯ	Article; Noun - common singular	H226 sign
to you	לְּךָ֤	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
from	מֵאֵ֣ת	mê·’êṯ	Preposition-m; Direct object marker	H854 with
the LORD	יְהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
that	כִּ֚י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
He	יְהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
will do	יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה	ya·‘ă·śeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
what	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
He has promised	דִּבֵּ֑ר	dib·bêr	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1696 speak
the shadow	הַצֵּל֙	haṣ·ṣêl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6738 shadow
to go	הָלַ֤ךְ	hā·laḵ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
forward ten	עֶ֣שֶׂר	‘e·śer	Number - feminine singular construct	H6235 ten
steps	מַֽעֲל֔וֹת	ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H4609 what comes up
or	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
back	יָשׁ֖וּב	yā·šūḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
ten	עֶ֥שֶׂר	‘e·śer	Number - feminine singular construct	H6235 ten
steps	מַעֲלֽוֹת׃	ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H4609 what comes up

2 Kings 20:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
It is easy	נָקֵ֣ל	nā·qêl	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7043 be slight, swift, trifling
for the shadow	לַצֵּ֔ל	laṣ·ṣêl	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6738 shadow
to lengthen	לִנְט֖וֹת	lin·ṭō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
ten	עֶ֣שֶׂר	‘e·śer	Number - feminine singular construct	H6235 ten
steps	מַעֲל֑וֹת	ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H4609 what comes up
answered	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Hezekiah	יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ	yə·ḥiz·qî·yā·hū	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H2396 Chizkijah
but not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
for it	הַצֵּ֛ל	haṣ·ṣêl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6738 shadow
to go	יָשׁ֥וּב	yā·šūḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
back	אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית	’ă·ḥō·ran·nîṯ	Adverb	H322 backwards
ten	עֶ֥שֶׂר	‘e·śer	Number - feminine singular construct	H6235 ten
steps	מַעֲלֽוֹת׃	ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H4609 what comes up

2 Kings 20:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Isaiah	יְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּ	yə·ša‘·yā·hū	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3470 Jeshajah
the prophet	הַנָּבִ֖יא	han·nā·ḇî	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5030 spokesman, speaker, prophet
called out	וַיִּקְרָ֛א	way·yiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
and He brought	וַיָּ֣שֶׁב	way·yā·šeḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
the shadow	הַצֵּ֗ל	haṣ·ṣêl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6738 shadow
back	אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית	’ă·ḥō·ran·nîṯ	Adverb	H322 backwards
the ten	עֶ֥שֶׂר	‘e·śer	Number - feminine singular construct	H6235 ten
steps	בְּמַעֲל֥וֹת	bə·ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural construct	H4609 what comes up
it had descended	יָרְדָ֜ה	yā·rə·ḏāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H3381 come or go down, descend
on the stairway	מַעֲלֽוֹת׃פ	ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H4609 what comes up
of Ahaz	אָחָ֛ז	’ā·ḥāz	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H271 Achaz

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

2 Kings 20:9 Isaiah 38:7–8

2 Kings 20:11 Isaiah 38:8 · Joshua 10:12–14 · 2 Chronicles 32:24

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.